Three stars for Iowa basketball vs. Utah

Iowa basketball picked up a key win over Utah from the Sanford Pentagon. Three stars for the Hawkeyes in the 95-88 win.

Iowa men’s basketball (9-3, 1-1 Big Ten) secured a 95-88 win vs. Utah (8-2) on Saturday from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., giving the Hawkeyes their first win over the Utes in program history.

During the neutral-site matchup, Iowa was able to shoot consistently through a 34-for-64 (53.1%) night from the floor, 9-of-20 (45%) effort from beyond the arc, and 18-for-24 (75%) performance from the free throw line.

Defensively, both teams finished with 12 total forced turnovers, with Iowa also registering eight steals and five blocks throughout the contest. Due to the high-scoring affair, the Hawkeyes’ ability to contest Utah’s shot attempts contributed to the eventual victory.

With win No. 9 secured for Iowa, here are three Hawkeyes that stood out the most Saturday night.

Payton Sandfort

Payton Sandfort led the Hawkeyes in scoring Saturday with 24 points off 8-for-14 (57.1%) shooting from the floor, 2-for-5 (40%) from 3-point distance, and a perfect 6-for-6 night from the charity stripe. The senior forward also contributed eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal in his 36 minutes of action.

As has been the case for most of the season so far, Sandfort is the driver of the Hawkeyes’ offense.

Josh Dix

Josh Dix had an eventful night, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-10 (70%) shooting from the field in 33 minutes. The sophomore forward also led the Hawkeyes in assists (4) while contributing three rebounds, two steals, and a block to Iowa’s defensive effort.

Dix has shown he is a reliable tertiary scoring option for the Hawkeyes outside of Owen Freeman and Payton Sandfort, which has allowed him to thrive in recent games. Saturday night’s output also extends his streak of double-digit scoring performances to six games.

Drew Thelwell

Thelwell finished with 15 points but did so in an extremely efficient manner as he converted on 3-of-5 (60%) attempts from the field, 2-of-3 (66.6%) from deep, and 7-of-8 (87.5%) from the charity stripe in 29 minutes off the bench. The senior guard also provided Iowa with two rebounds, two assists, and one steal throughout the night.

Iowa returns to action from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday, Dec. 30, vs. New Hampshire (2-11, 0-0 America East) at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.

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